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US 12,479,102 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for piston insertion
AssigneesHyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
InventorsSeung Yeop Lee, Dong Ho Kwak, Yong Tae Kim, Young Seok Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is an apparatus for piston insertion, including an insertion robot having a plurality of robot arms connected by a plurality of articulated joints, a piston insertion module directly mounted on the insertion robot, gripping a piston assembly, and inserting the piston assembly into a cylinder bore of a cylinder block, and a controller controlling an operation of the insertion robot and an operation of the piston insertion module.
Claims15
An apparatus for piston insertion, the apparatus comprising:
- an insertion robot having a plurality of robot arms connected by a plurality of articulated joints;
- a piston insertion module directly mounted on the insertion robot, gripping a piston assembly, and configured to insert the piston assembly into a cylinder bore of a cylinder block;
- and
- a controller controlling an operation of the insertion robot and an operation of the piston insertion module;
- and
- a compression jig located above the cylinder block,
- wherein the piston insertion module includes:
- a gripper for gripping and ungripping the piston assembly;
- a push mechanism including a push rod configured to move in a vertical direction, and a push actuator causing the push rod to move;
- and
- a centering mechanism causing a center of the piston assembly to be aligned with a center of the cylinder bore,
- wherein the centering mechanism is located above the gripper, the push actuator is located above the centering mechanism, and the push rod extends through the gripper and the centering mechanism,
- wherein the piston assembly includes a piston, a plurality of piston rings mounted on an outer surface of the piston, and a connecting rod swingably connected to the piston,
- wherein the compression jig compresses the plurality of piston rings inward in a radial direction of the piston,
- wherein the compression jig includes a compression sleeve aligned with the cylinder bore of the cylinder block,
- wherein the compression sleeve guides the piston assembly into the cylinder bore, and
- compresses the piston rings inward in the radial direction of the piston,
- wherein the compression sleeve is a single component comprising therein:
- a first guide portion having an inner diameter corresponding to that of the cylinder bore;
- and
- a second guide portion extending upwardly from the first guide portion,
- wherein the first guide portion has a first guide surface aligned with an inner surface of the cylinder bore,
- wherein the second guide portion has a second guide surface tapered with respect to the first guide surface at a predetermined angle,
- wherein the piston is configured to move in a downward direction along first the second guide surface and then the first guide surface, and
- wherein a diameter of the second guide surface gradually increases in a direction upward from the first guide surface.
22 more elements
A method for piston insertion, the method comprising:
- picking up a piston assembly by a piston insertion module, bringing the piston assembly into contact with a cylinder block by an insertion robot;
- sensing a force acting between the piston assembly and the cylinder block by a sensor provided on the insertion robot;
- and
- inserting the piston assembly into a cylinder bore of the cylinder block by the piston insertion module when the sensed force is less than or equal to a threshold,
- wherein the piston insertion module mounted on the insertion robot,
- wherein the piston insertion module includes:
- a gripper for gripping and ungripping the piston assembly;
- a push mechanism including a push rod configured to move in a vertical direction, and a push actuator causing the push rod to move;
- and
- a centering mechanism causing a center of the piston assembly to be aligned with a center of the cylinder bore,
- wherein the centering mechanism is located above the gripper, the push actuator is located above the centering mechanism, and the push rod extends through the gripper and the centering mechanism,
- wherein the piston assembly includes a piston, a plurality of piston rings mounted on an outer surface of the piston, and a connecting rod swingably connected to the piston,
- wherein the compression jig compresses the plurality of piston rings inward in a radial direction of the piston,
- wherein a compression jig is located above the cylinder block,
- wherein the compression jig includes a compression sleeve aligned with the cylinder bore of the cylinder block,
- wherein the compression sleeve guides the piston assembly into the cylinder bore, and compresses the piston rings inward in the radial direction of the piston,
- wherein the compression sleeve is a single component comprising therein:
- a first guide portion having an inner diameter corresponding to that of the cylinder bore;
- and
- a second guide portion extending upwardly from the first guide portion,
- wherein the first guide portion has a first guide surface aligned with an inner surface of the cylinder bore,
- wherein the second guide portion has a second guide surface tapered with respect to the first guide surface at a predetermined angle,
- wherein the piston moves downwardly along the second guide surface and the first guide surface, and
- wherein a diameter of the second guide surface gradually increases in a direction upward from the first guide surface.
21 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.